Bill Noel – författare

Praise for The Pier

Louisville author Bill Noel, himself a seasoned photographer, has followed his debut offering, Folly, with another engaging Folly Beach Mystery. Armed with a gift for creating ultra-quirky yet believable characters, Noel shows how a healthy dose of cynicismeven among untrained, nonprofessional typescan lead to solving a murder mystery that the police had initially decided wasnt even a homicide. Kentucky Monthly

Spend a little time at the Lost Dog Caf (Coffee and a bite) with Landrum and his troupe of amateur sleuths, and I bet youll be glad you made the trip. The Voice-Tribune

Early mornings used to be Chris Landrums favorite time on the small South Carolina island he calls homeuntil a stranger joins him along a lonely stretch of road. After a car suddenly barrels toward them in the predawn darkness and slams the stranger into the hereafter, Chriss peaceful retirement is thrown into a tailspin once again.

Even though the police declare the strangers death a tragic accident, Chris knows better. Distressed, Chris heads to his photo gallery, hoping for a distraction from the days horrific start. But when another man is murdered in his beachside home within hours, Chris soon learns that the only thing the victims have in common is First Light, Folly Beachs newest place of worship, led by nontraditional preacher Burl Ives Costello. Assisted by his friend and self-proclaimed private detective, Charles Fowler, Chris begins to dig into Costellos suspicious past. As Chris and Charles become more convinced that Costello is somehow tied to the deaths, the body count rises and no one is safe.

In a new Folly Beach mystery, a retiree turned amateur sleuth and his quirky pals must put everything on the lineincluding their livesto catch a killer before they become part of the death count.

AFTER A MURDER VICTIM IS DISCOVERED ON FOLLY BEACH, A RETIREE AND HIS MISFIT FRIENDS MUST FIND THE KILLER BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.

After Chris Landrum survives the first hurricane to hit Folly Beach, South Carolina, during this century, he breathes what he is about to discover to be an overly optimistic sigh of relief. When the body of his acquaintance Lester Patterson is discovered with an arrow plunged straight through his heartChriss formerly peaceful retirement on the tiny barrier island suddenly goes from bad to worse.

With the help of his remaining quirky acquaintances, Chris launches a relentless mission to stop an imperfect murderer who has already made one critical error in judgment. A weird boardinghouse and a country music bar are all that connect the victimsand now it is up to Chris to determine which one of his misfit friends is the killer and which one is vulnerable enough to be the next victim. Is it Country Cal, a washed-up musician; Harley McLowry, whose name matches his 99 Road King Classic; or songstress Heather Lee, whose friends think a half-dead hog carries a better tune than her?

When Chris discovers the police chief is bent on running him off the island, he soon realizes there will be no shortage of roadblocks to finding a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing.

Chris Landrums morning has already started on a down note, as he stands in a cemetery listening to the eulogy for a friend. But his entire day deteriorates rapidly when he hears that a murder victim has been found in the marsh behind his retirement home on Folly Beach, South Carolina. Worse yet, the victim is the business associate of one of his friends. In a matter of hours, Chriss quiet, relaxed life is turned upside down.

The police are convinced that Sean Aker, the victims law partner, is the killer. Chris has no reason to disagree other than the fact Sean is a frienda feeble defense at best. With the help of a group consisting of a tagalong buddy and wannabe private detective; an aging hippy and surf shop owner; a has-been country music singer; and a new acquaintance who runs a marsh tour business, Chris is thrust into a murder investigation that soon puts his dream of spending an idyllic retirement on hold yet again.

As Chris and his merry band of misfit friends stumble, bumble, and come face-to-face with death in their amateurish quest to find a killer, they all wonder if the golden years are like this for everyoneor just them.

Chris Landrums idyllic life of retirement on the South Carolina barrier island of Folly Beach just got turned upside down. After more than two decades, his ex-wife, Joan, calls to wish him a merry Christmas. He can tell she wants to tell him something more, but their conversation is cut short before he learns anything. Somethings up.

A second call from Joans best friend delivers startling news. Joans husband has just been killed in an automobile accident in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, and Joan wants Chris to investigate. Even though its hundreds of miles from Chriss peaceful beach cottage, he agrees to help.

Meanwhile, Chriss best and strangest friend, Charles, joins the working world as a bartending private detective, two jobs he stumbles and bumbles through with equal measures of incompetence. Country Cal, an aging country music singer and new bar owner, hires Charles to catch a petty thief who is stealing bourbon and cash. Heather, a psychic and Charless main squeeze, blames ghosts; since no one can figure out how the culprit is breaking in, she seems to be right.

Unfortunately for Chris, hes got a little more to worry about than missing booze. It looks like Joans husband was murdered. Now, Chris has to find the culprit before he becomes the next victimhardly a day at the beach!